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Self-improvement

My week of a social media diet proved to be exactly what I expected…I didn’t miss it. Yes I was on social media and did post here and there, but only for the times I allowed myself. I went from checking my phone every 10 minutes to only at lunch and a half hour at night. I realized a couple of things: I was able to enjoy other people and our conversations more without looking at my phone every 5 seconds, and also I realized I didn’t miss anything relevant and actually cleared my mind a bit. It was hard at first not to be checking my phone all the time, but I stuck with it. I read more, focused more, and was actually happier without the drama of Facebook and Instagram. I will not fully cut these things out of my life, but I’m definitely cutting back. It’s about enjoying your life and opening your eyes to the things around you and realizing there are so many things out there to enjoy in this world and those things are very hard to discover when you are glued to social media at all hours of the day. Get out, take a walk, CALL (yes I said call) a family member or friend and actually hear their voice instead of reading a Facebook comment, learn something new, get your eyes off the damn phone or computer and live a life. Sometimes we all try to hide behind a keyboard…I’ve been guilty of this as well. The world is losing the ability to socially interact with each other and I think it’s sad. Trust me, I’m just as guilty as anyone, but I know I want to change that. Try not to let the social media world or internet take over your life. Trust me, you will be better because of it. My life. I choose awesome. Always be you.
Abby

1 week of no social media. Sounds easy enough right? I will admit that I am somewhat addicted, no not even somewhat, I AM addicted. Facebook and Instagram being the two major culprits. I am challenging myself to slowly decrease my time on social media to make time for other important things in life. That shit pulls you in people. And let’s be honest, is it really relevant that we check our Facebook’s every 10 minutes because we might miss something important? Come on, tell me that last important, had to die for information you got from Facebook? That your best friend’s brother’s cousin is no longer in a relationship with someone you don’t even know? The more I think about it, I’m not really sure what the last important thing I saw on Facebook that absolutely was glad I didn’t miss! Instagram is even worse for me. I’m not sure why I continue to check that damn thing every half hour only to see another shout out from another account trying to get more followers, or another picture of someone showing me what the hell they are eating, or another ego driven individual taking a half-naked selfie (which they probably took at least 10 times to get the right pose and right lighting). Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done all these things and posted these things but does anyone really care that much? Probably not. I have to ask myself, “Why does this shit intrigue me?” And honestly I cannot give you an answer as to why I continue to be drawn in by all of it. It is now just a habit I’ve formed and I’m wanting to change it. Now, social media definitely has its place. I do enjoy seeing what my family members are up to that I don’t get a chance to see often, and I also think that social media is great for businesses to network and for promotion as well, I’m just saying I have a problem and an addiction to it! I am starting with an hour a day and will slowly decrease time from there to eventually where I can find a balance:) Each week I am trying to break or change a bad habit I have and also to start a new habit, a good one. The first quest is to start limiting my time on social media each day and make room for areas in my life that I feel are much more important. I feel I’ve wasted too many hours of really nothing and now it’s time to change that! If anyone is up for the challenge with me let’s do it! I am challenging myself weekly to be better and improve different areas of my life, and I challenge everyone to do the same. If you feel like you are spending hours on social media but making excuses of why you can’t do other things in your life, let’s change it. I will update you every few days of my challenge to see how things are going:) Here is my first plan of attack and it starts today:
1-I will only check social media during my lunch and allow myself 30 minutes at night.
2-During this time is the only time I can post something on my accounts.
My goal by the end of this week is to have my social media time down to only 1 hour per day. I’m going to find other things to occupy my time and let’s see how productive I can be without as much social media in my life:)
I leave you with this article explaining why Facebook is similar to crack…And remember, this is my life, my choices, and I choose to be awesome. Always be you.
Abbyhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-judson-brewer/social-media-addiction_b_4079697.html

Don’t lie. We have all been critical of others. At some point in our lives we have criticized someone because of the way they dress, speak, look, how they live, what they eat, etc. I will admit, I’ve done it. I used to do it all the time. However, when people started to criticize me and the way I live and do things is when I said to myself, “they don’t even know me or my story”, and it was then that I decided to not be critical of others anymore. It was then I said I would get to know someone before I made an opinion about them, and even if I didn’t agree with their choices, I would respect them. We all have the right to be who we want to be in this world. Frankly, it’s none of my business how someone dresses, eats, and lives. If their choices make them happy, I respect that. Who’s to say that MY opinions are right anyways? They are my thoughts and my preferences. That is what makes life great. We all have the choices to be whoever we want to be. It’s great to be an individual. People are the way they are for a reason. We often judge others based on our own backgrounds and experiences. If you want to know something about someone, ask them. Know someone’s story before you are quick to judge them. You may be judging someone on something they cannot control.

When I did my first figure competition, oh god were people critical. “She’s on steroids, she looks like a man, she must be starving herself, she probably doesn’t eat, blah blah.” Did it bother me at first? Yes. Does it bother me now? No. In fact, it makes me laugh. I know exactly what I did to get to that day on stage, and most of the criticisms people made were false. Regardless of what you do, you must not care what people think of you. I know this sometimes can be hard, but no matter what, there will ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS someone who will judge you in a negative way. You cannot please everyone in this world, and if you spend your time trying to convince that ONE negative person who criticizes you, you’re missing out on all the people who respect you. Trying to make that ONE person happy is a waste of your time. That one person will always put you down no matter what. Don’t make time for people like that in your life. Living happy means being surrounded by people who are willing to know your story and respect you and your choices. I don’t have time for people who are going to tear me down. That’s why I don’t pay attention to them. I do a lot of things in my life that people don’t understand. I have plenty of habits that others don’t. But if you are willing to ask me and get to know me, you may be surprised as to why I do the things I do. Instead of talking behind someone’s back, ask them their story. If you still don’t agree, that’s ok, still give them respect. Live as an individual and be different. If things you love are not the “norm” it’s ok. Happiness is what everyone strives for in this life, so don’t judge someone’s happiness. That is for them to decide. As always, live awesome.

Since I started this travelling gig, I have learned to be alone. I have learned to go into unfamiliar places and to depend on no one but myself. I go into a city not knowing a single person. I have the ability to make friends and talk to people no matter where I’m at. I have the ability to put myself out there and discover new things. But sometimes, I want to just be alone. Am I depressed? Lonely? Sad? Nope..I just want to be alone! At 29 years old, I am finally starting to figure out the person I am, but I will never stop learning or discovering things about myself. Life is always a journey. For those that don’t know about me, I have been divorced over a year now. I basically took a huge leap of faith and completely changed my life. So far, it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made. Back to my point, I will put it to you this way, I actually like being alone. It doesn’t scare me and it doesn’t bother me. I honestly think that people don’t spend enough time alone, reflecting and learning to grow as a person. Now, do I think as humans we need interactions with others as well? Of course I do, but I think that there is no shame in wanting to spend time with yourself. I know it has allowed me to become a better person and truly discover what I want in life. I don’t have to be around people all the time. I can go out by myself and experience things without the need of someone else. Sorry, but I’m not missing out on something in life because I don’t have anyone to do anything with. If you truly want to live a happy life, you have to be dependent on yourself, trust yourself, and not look for the dependence or approval of others for things you want to do. Happy Sunday everyone.